


Què Portarà

by WildwingSuz



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 08:23:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13454268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildwingSuz/pseuds/WildwingSuz
Summary: Between when they left Arlington National Cemetery and showed up in the Internet café.





	Què Portarà

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: I thought they seemed awfully relaxed in that Internet café and I decided why that was. More notes at end.
> 
> Spoilers: Takes place during S11 E2, “This”. Also a mention of my story Muffins on a Saturday Morning, but you don’t have to have read that to get this.
> 
> The title is Catalan for "what happens next".

Thanks again to Mimic117, she of the killer red pen who whips my stories into shape

 

 **Què Portarà**  
Rated NC-17  
by Suzanne L. Feld

 

 

“We gotta walk it, Scully.”

 

“Mulder, are you serious?”  Even in the dim light I could see the look on her face, both guarded and incredulous.  We were standing on the outskirts of Arlington National Military Cemetery, in the shadow of the Confederate Memorial, while we planned our next move.  Flashing blue and red lights washed over us, though we weren’t in sight of the police cars.  “Besides, where in the hell are we going?”

 

“There’s an Internet café in Annandale and I know how to circumvent their tracking systems,” I said proudly.  I was hyped despite all the crazy shit that had happened in the last few hours.  I was glad that, if nothing else, we’d gotten a nap on the couch before all this had started.  In the last few weeks it had gotten to be a habit, working on files after dinner, and this wasn’t the first time we’d dozed off.

  
_“Annandale?”_ Her voice rose, then she briefly clasped a hand over her mouth.  “Really, Mulder?  That’s halfway back home, and it’s a forty-minute drive there!”

 

“Well unless we steal another car, that isn’t happening,” I hissed, throwing my arm out in the direction of the police lights.  We had returned from discovering the clue on Deep Throat’s gravestone to find the police surrounding the rickety pickup we’d used to get here.  We’d “borrowed” it from our nearest neighbor since we knew that it would be unlocked and the keys in the visor.  Elderly Mr. Parker was still living in the 1950s and didn’t lock anything.  I’d been careful to leave the keys in it when I’d parked it outside Arlington and planned to slip him a little cash when—not if—we got back, for the trouble.  “Have you recently learned how to hotwire one?”

 

“You know I haven’t, Mulder,” Scully said darkly, glancing up at me before looking around.  “And no matter what we end up doing, we’d better get out of here now.”

 

“You got that right, Doc,” I said, and followed her away from the expansive graveyard.  In my mind I said a final farewell to the Gunmen, though who knew what was going on with Langley at this point.

 

We crossed beneath the freeway and stuck to dark side streets until we were some distance from the cemetery, then I turned us toward a large, brightly lit avenue I could see between the houses. Though I usually have a pretty good sense of direction, I knew that we could easily get lost in these twisting suburban streets and end up walking in circles.  I’d take the forest over this urban jungle any day.

 

I had a good idea of where we were, and where we needed to go.  Though I had never been to the café from this direction—I had always gone from our house, which was half an hour south—I was pretty sure I could find it.  The problem was getting to Annandale, which I suspected was at least a couple hours’ walk from here.  But what other choice did we have?  Neither of us knew how to hotwire a car and, though we had some money thanks to Skinner, we didn’t have a phone to call for a cab or an Uber.  Not for the first time I lamented the end of public phone booths.

 

“Seriously, Mulder, we can’t walk all the way there,” Scully said, low, as we moved along a dark, quiet residential street towards the brighter-lit one.  “Besides taking all night, how will we find it?”

 

“If we can find Columbia Pike, it goes to Annandale,” I said.  “And the café is right on it.”

 

I saw her slant a glance at me from beneath the shining sheaf of her hair.  “So we’re going to walk how many miles down a brightly-lit street in the middle of the night?  And no cops will notice us.”

 

Though I loved this woman with all my heart and soul, sometimes she really got on my nerves.  This was one of those times.  “Do you have a better suggestion?”

 

“Not yet, but I’ll think of something.”

 

“You let me know when you do.”

 

We arrived to the end of the block, where the street flanked with houses ended in a strip mall.  “We’re on Arlington Boulevard,” Scully pointed out as we looked up at the street sign.  “Which way do we go?”

 

“The cemetery is behind us, so we go left,” I said after a moment of thinking.  “That should take us south.  We’ll have to find a 24-hour gas station or 7-Eleven and get a map.”

 

“If they even have them anymore.  Everyone, us included, use the GPS on our phones to navigate,” she said.  We paused at the end of the long, dark strip mall building and looked around.  The wide, divided four-lane highway in front of us was mostly empty, just a few cars passing, and all of the stores fronting the street that we could see were closed, even a dark and shuttered McDonalds.  There were no other pedestrians at all.  “Mulder, I think it’s too dangerous for us to walk on a big main street like this.  There could be an APB out on us, or it might just seem suspicious to see two middle-aged adults walking around a bunch of closed stores at—“ she glanced down at her watch—“one in the morning.”

 

“You have a point,” I admitted grudgingly.  “But if we go by the side streets we run the risk of getting lost.  Plus we need to see if we can find a map.”

 

She huffed.  “All right.  But be watchful.”

 

I didn’t reply because I didn’t want to get smacked.  But as we walked, the stores petered out and the street lights soon disappeared.  Before long we were in what appeared to be another residential area, with what I guessed were apartment buildings on both sides of the road.  We were able to move away from the larger street and onto a sidewalk on a side road but still within sight of the highway. 

 

“We could commandeer a car.”

 

“We don’t have our badges, remember?  That would be carjacking.”

 

“Damn.”

 

Scully stumbled and I reached out to grab her shoulder, steadying her.  It was getting darker the further we walked, fewer street or porch lights.  “You okay?”

 

“Yeah, and on second thought I’d rather stick with a more lighted area.  These sidewalks are pretty bumpy.”

 

Instead of letting go, I let my hand slide down her arm, took her small, warm hand in mine, and held it as we walked.  “Glad you weren’t wearing your usual foot-high heels tonight.”

 

“I’m thankful I was wearing shoes at all,” she retorted.  “And that we weren’t in bed when those assholes came, or we’d be hiking barefoot in our jammies.”

 

“Speak for yourself,” I chided with a smile.  “I don’t usually wear anything to bed anymore, as you well know.  And some nights, neither do you.”

 

“Well, I doubt that tonight would have been one of those nights considering we were so tired that we fell asleep on the couch before cleaning up after dinner,” she said with amusement clear in her voice.  “And that’s a good thing, because at least _I_ wouldn’t be wandering around Arlington at this time of the morning bare-assed.”

 

“Something tells me that Skinner would have helped us out in that department,” I snickered.  The thought of his face if I’d stepped out from behind the tree and into the beams of his car’s headlights while buck naked made me want to guffaw, and I kept quiet with an effort.

 

“Not sure what he could have done other than give you his clothes, and that’s a whole new problem,” she said.  “Personally, I’d rather see _you_ naked.”

 

“Hey, he’s pretty buff,” I pointed out. “I’ve seen him in the FBI gym working out. He still boxes, you know.”

 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, squeezing my hand briefly.  “You don’t think I moved back in just for your cooking, do you?”

 

I smiled in the dark and squeezed back.  “I would hope not.  My house cleaning has improved, too.”

 

She laughed low and bumped my arm with her shoulder.  “Wrong again.  But I’ll concede the point.”

 

“Look at us, Scully.  Hunted and on the run again, and joking around as if we don’t have a care in the world.”

 

“We’ve had plenty of practice,” she said drily.  “And as long as we’re together we know we’ll get through it.  One way or another.”

 

I wanted to hug her but caught sight of a dim neon sign in the distance which distracted me.  “Hey, that, uh, that might be a gas station or store up there, Scully,” I said, pointing with my free hand.

 

“God knows I need a break,” she said tiredly as we picked up the pace.  “These boots may not have the heel that I usually prefer, but they’re not made for this kind of walking, either.”

 

“Where’s a shoe store when you need one?”

 

“Well, not there.” We stopped in the dark beneath a large, gnarled tree and looked at the faded neon sign a few yards away, which sputtered like a sad dying star in the darkness.

 

But then it clicked.  “Scully, that’s a motel.”

 

“Wow Mulder, with those detecting skills I now see how you got to be a G-man.”

 

“I would think that in lieu of a shoe store, Scully, an hour or so of rest would be the next best thing.”

 

Her brows raised.  “I don’t know if we have enough…” I watched as she dug in her front pants pocket and extracted the hunk of cash that Skinner had given her, then into the pocket on the other side and pulled up another roll of bills.  She must have felt my eyes on her and glanced up at me.  “I grabbed our mad money before we left,” she clarified, flipping open Skinner’s wad and combining the two.  After counting for a few moments, she shrugged.  “Color me wrong.  Lead on, MacDuff.”

 

From the looks of the plastic-enclosed office and lackadaisical attitude of the old guy behind the counter I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the room was nowhere near as bad as I’d been afraid.  Though small, it had a queen-sized bed and seemed fairly clean in the light of the single bedside lamp we turned on.  It reeked of bleach and cleanser, which wasn’t a bad thing because at least it was probably well disinfected.  Still, before we got undressed I cracked both windows open—leaving the curtains closed—to air out some of the antiseptic smell before our eyes started watering.

 

“God, Mulder, I can’t remember the last time my feet hurt this bad.” Scully sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling off her ankle boots.  “And we only walked for, what, about half an hour?  Forty minutes?”

 

“Yeah, roughly.  Not going to argue there,” I said, sitting on the other side and pulling my sweatshirt over my head.  “This isn’t too bad for ten bucks an hour.”

 

She snorted laughter.  “And we know we won’t oversleep because I’m sure the clerk will be calling the moment our time is up.  Just too bad it doesn’t have vending machines or a greasy spoon since I’m already getting hungry.”

 

I stripped down to my underwear and flopped on the bedspread, regretting it a moment later as I felt its slimy grittiness beneath my back.  “Ugh, Scully, don’t lay down until I pull the covers back,” I said, bouncing to my feet.  “The sheets may be bleached, but I’d bet they haven’t cleaned the bedspreads since they were first unfolded in 1970.”

 

We both pulled the covers back, coughing as we were assaulted with a strong bleach smell.  “Good lord, did they bother to rinse the sheets after washing them?” Scully gasped, waving her hand in front of her face.  She had undressed down to her pale pink panties and bra, and had I not been so tired I would have leered.  We’d only been back together for a couple of months and I still wanted her all the time, but between her earlier comment and when I saw how tired she looked I decided not to start anything as much as I wanted to. “Maybe we should put some clothes back on.”

 

“We’ve got four hours, may as well be comfortable,” I shrugged, climbing into the bed. 

 

“Yeah, the smell does seem to be dissipating,” she agreed, getting in and scooting over to lay next to me.  I rolled towards her and she moved the same way so that I was spooning her, enjoying the feel of her warm soft skin against me.  I slid one arm beneath her neck, laying the other across her slender waist and pulling her back against me.  She drew the top sheet up over us but left the bedspread where I’d flung it at the foot.  It was comfortable in the room, a faint breeze whispering through the open windows now and then from beneath the curtains.  We were quiet for a few moments and I thought that perhaps she was dozing when she said in a low, husky voice, “How tired are you, Mulder?”

 

Her tone caught my attention.  “I’m not asleep yet,” I said cautiously, almost afraid to hope. 

 

“Good, because I’d hate to have to wake you up for this,” she said silkily, then began rubbing her bottom against my front.  Never one to miss a chance, Li’l Mulder soon rose to the occasion.  I moved my free hand up and began kneading her breasts and tweaking the nipples through her bra, wishing we’d undressed all the way but able to make do for the time being as I pushed my cock against her firm ass. “Being on the run gets my motor going, Mulder, you know that.”

 

“Rather do this with you than sleep any old day,” I said, nuzzling her soft, citrus-fragrant hair which spread across the pillow beneath both our heads.  “I was afraid you might be too tired if I suggested it.”

 

“For you?  Never.”

 

This, I knew, was true.  When we’d begun seeing each other a few months ago it was like we were teenagers again, going at each other any chance we got.  Now that we were living together it was pretty much a nightly thing and sometimes we even managed a quickie in the morning.  I was surprised at how well my body performed at my age. I was sure that my working out and eating healthy for the last couple of years was part of it, never mind having a woman who was sexiness personified and whom I loved behind all else.

 

“Although, for once, I don’t want to take too long. How fast do you think you can make me come?”

 

“I love a challenge, as you well know.” I flung the sheet off and pulled her over onto her back.  I leaned over to kiss her as I began to tug her panties down, and with her help we soon had them, and my underwear, off.  I reached down between her legs to find her hot, swollen, and moist, more than ready.  I started to kiss down her chest, heading south, but she stopped me with one hand on my shoulder.

 

“No time for that; you can make it up to me another time.  How about this, instead?” I leaned back and let her up.  She got up on her hands and knees, then leaned forward and grasped the bed’s tall wooden headboard which raised her upper body. Glancing back at me, she spread her legs, wiggled her ass, and raised her brows.  “You remember?  We were pretty damn good at this one.”

 

“Still are,” I growled, rising up behind her.  Her old bed, which we’d spent a lot of time in during the late 1990s, had a similar headboard and this had been a favorite position.  “I don’t think it’ll take too long for either of us.  I’ve missed this one.”

 

“Me too, and the first thing I thought of when we walked into this room.”

 

She  moaned low as I took a moment to run my hands down her slim, rounded body from shoulders to gently curved ass.  Then I grasped her hips and slid my knees between hers so that she was nearly sitting in my lap, legs spread over my thighs back to me and hands grasping the headboard. 

 

With no further ado I began to lower her, holding myself steady with one hand.  She was so aroused that she was nearly dripping, and my hard cock parted her soft, moist flesh like it was butter.  I slid easily into her as she leaned back, feeling myself encased in the fiery wetness of her welcoming body, both of us moaning at the contact.

 

As soon as I was deep inside her I reached around with one hand and found the tender bump of her clit, which was hot and swollen.  I wrapped my other arm around her narrow waist and took a good hold, then began to pump up into her and rub at the same time.  She pushed back against me, using her strong legs to move.  I was already rising towards my own release, but didn’t worry about it even though I usually paced myself.  This time it didn’t matter because I knew how quickly she could finish like this.

 

A cool breeze gusted over my already-sweating back and I glanced over at the window to make sure that the curtains were still closed.  I caught sight of us in the tarnished, age-spotted mirror over the dresser.  My heart leapt at seeing my long, darker-skinned body wrapped around her willowy pale one, holding her tight against me, thrusting deeply into her. I felt my arousal rise, and had to look away so I could battle it back down.  Not time quite yet. I prided myself on always making her come at least once; I could count on one hand the number of times I hadn’t since we’d been back together, and it had always been at her insistence that it wasn’t necessary.

 

“Glad you’re good at multi-tasking,” she breathed, arching her back and spreading her legs even more as I thrust into her in a steady, hard, even pace.  Her clit was getting so swollen and wet from her juices that I was afraid I’d lose it among all the moving flesh down there.  My fingers brushed against my cock as it moved in and out of her and a jolt of arousal shot through me like electricity.   “God, Mulder, this is amazing.  You make me crazy.”

 

I could only groan in wordless agreement, having to keep my attention on what I was doing.  Whenever she came while I was hard inside her it was the most exquisite sensation, and I wanted to make her finish before I did so I could experience it again, not to mention being determined to get her off.  She was moaning in time to my strokes, head thrown back so that her hair was flung over both our shoulders.  I loved that she had not only let it grow out, but also let it return to its natural color instead of dyeing it blonde. 

 

Her moans were increasing both in volume and rapidity and, knowing that it was time from long experience, I pulled her back hard against me as her body came down, thrust my hips up sharply and forcefully.  In the next moment I let go of her waist and reached up to rub her taut nipples, spreading my hand wide and going back and forth.   As I’d hoped, that did it.

 

She let out a wordless, rising cry of pleasure, and I felt her inner muscles spasm and contract around me as the orgasm hit her.  I let myself go, throwing my head back and yelling hoarsely and helplessly at the ceiling as the incredible sensations rippled through me while I emptied myself deep inside her.  We froze together for a few beats and I gloried in the feeling of her inner muscles milking me, and then I collapsed forward against her back with both arms around her waist for a moment.  I had the presence of mind to open my eyes and get one final look in the mirror, awed at how incredible we looked together like this.  We were both shuddering from aftershocks as I slowly withdrew and then we tumbled gracelessly onto the bed.

 

I drew her into my arms, relishing her warmth and closeness, feeling her pull the covers up again.  That was the last I remembered until the phone began to shrill what seemed like only moments later.

 

“Four hours doesn’t seem to last as long as it used to,” came a grumbling voice from somewhere below my chin.

 

“Three and three-quarters,” I mumbled in reply, letting go of her and rolling over to pick up the handset on the bedside table.  “I know, I know,” I growled, then slammed it down.

 

We took turns in the bathroom and dressed, ignoring the phone which rang twice more before we opened the motel room door and left.  “I need a long hot shower,” Scully grumbled as we began to walk away from the dim building down the graveled driveway.  It was flanked by tall, spreading trees, making it even darker.  “And a large coffee.”

 

“What time is it?” I asked, since I used my phone to check the time these days and rarely wore a watch.

“Six-fifteen.  Should be getting light soon,” Scully said, glancing at her wrist, her voice scratchy from lack of sleep.  “God, how long is it going to take us to walk the rest of the way?”

 

“I dunno, but it looks like you’re right about the map,” I said, remembering how the motel clerk had looked at me blankly when I’d asked if he had one.  “I guess all we can do is keep going and—”

 

The sound of tires came up from behind us and together we moved off to the side of the driveway onto the grass.  “Hey, guys, need a ride?”

 

We turned to look suspiciously as a car pulled up beside us.  The vehicle was a brand-new Chevy Volt, which appeared to be red although it was difficult to tell in the darkness.  Hanging out of the open driver’s side window was a young woman.  She appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties, with brown hair piled messily atop her head and a friendly smile. 

 

“You don’t know us,” Scully said from beside me, and I suspected that her hand was on the Glock, which I knew was tucked into the waistband of her slacks beneath her zipped dark grey jacket.  “How do you know we won’t just steal your car?”

 

“I’ve got a sense for people.  Plus my dad said you guys showed up on foot and have a wad of cash, and I could use a few bucks, so I’d be glad to drive you as long as it’s not too far,” she said brightly.  “I’ll even charge you Uber rates.”

 

“Are you an Uber driver?” I said.

 

“I’m going to be, now that I’ve got a decent car,” she said, patting the side of the Volt.  “And that’s why I need some money now, to help pay off this baby until I can get started.  Working here doesn’t pay peanuts,” she smiled.  “What do you say?”

 

I looked down at Scully, who was gazing back at me.  Even in the dim light I could see her expression, which was dubious.  Still, I thought, how dangerous could this young woman be?  It was doubtful that she was another assassin.  Scully seemed to agree as she nodded slightly. 

 

“Sure, why not.  We’re heading to Annandale,” I said as Scully opened the back door, and I went around the front. 

 

“Jeez, that’s not far at all.  Twenty bucks good?  I was afraid you guys were going to say Richmond or Baltimore or something,” she remarked as I slid into the passenger seat.  “Have you guys there in a jiff.  By the way, I’m Willa.”

 

“I’m, uh, Dave, and this is Gilly,” I said as Scully handed a couple of bills over the seat from the back, using our aliases from when we were on the run in the early 2000s.  I glanced back at Scully, who mouthed “in a jiff?”  I could just see her face in the lights from the dash and GPS screen.  I grinned at her before looking forward again and putting on my seatbelt.  “You’re not going to ask why we’re walking, or don’t have cell phones to call an Uber?”

 

Willa shrugged as she put the car in gear.  In the light from the dash she seemed so young, carefree, like we used to be.  “Not my business.  I can tell you’re good people, though, and that’s enough for me.”

 

“How can you be so certain of that?” Scully asked.

 

The young woman shrugged as she turned out onto the deserted main road. “I just can.  Been able to tell about folks for as long as I can remember.  I get, uh, vibes from people, and I know good from bad as soon as I get close enough.”

 

“You could be an empath,” I said with some excitement.  How about this, an X-File while we were on the run from assassins! 

 

“What’s that?” she asked as we rode along the dark highway, the little car’s headlights the only illumination.

 

“Someone who can sense other people’s emotions,” Scully said in a dry tone from the back seat. “It hasn’t been proven that they’re—“

 

“Not just sense, but when you are affected by other people's energies, and have an innate ability to intuitively feel and perceive others,” I interrupted, annoyed with my partner’s attitude.  “It’s how you know someone is basically a good or bad person just by meeting them.”

 

“Well I don’t know about that, but I trust my feelings,” Willa said serenely.  “My grandma was the same way.”

 

“It often runs in families,” I added.  “You should be tested.  You might be able to—“

 

“It’s not a proven thing,” Scully said in a flat tone.  “It’s like being psychic, no one’s ever actually proven it.”

 

“Well, I ain’t gonna go in for no tests,” the girl said.  “Besides, I’m in my second year at VAC majoring in psychology.  Figured I can do some good with whatever it is.”

 

"I was a psychology major too, but ended up in law enforcement," I said without thinking.  I noted that the sky was beginning to lighten beyond her, and saw that dawn wasn’t far away.

 

She slanted a glance at me.  “You guys cops?”

 

I felt a poke in my left shoulder and didn’t even have to look.  “We were, but we’re retired,” I said.  “Hiking around the Appalachians.”  Lame, but the best I could come up with on the fly. 

 

“Look more like you’re on the run from something or someone.  But again, not my business,” she said. 

 

I thought about elaborating but let it go.  It was possible that she was picking up some of our thoughts but as long as she got us to Annandale, it didn’t really matter what she thought.  Even if she decided to go to the cops and report us we’d soon be long gone.

 

As the light outside brightened we began to drive past more houses, and finally I recognized the buildings of Annandale as they approached.  “Can you drop us at the library?” I said after a moment of thought.  It wasn’t far from the café.

 

“It don’t open until nine, you just going to sit around?  There’s a 24-hour café just a couple of streets over where you can hang until then.”

 

I almost gnashed my teeth in frustration.  So much for the cops not finding us.

 

“Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna tell nobody.  Whatever’s going on with you two, it ain’t anything bad that would involve the cops.  Gotta get back and clean your room, anyway,” she said with clear humor in her voice.  “You were our only guests last night, but who knows what today will bring.”

 

How true, I thought as she made a left turn and I saw the café’s sign ahead.  After last night’s unexpected and unprovoked attack, I had absolutely no idea what might happen today.  I reached into my right jacket pocket and fingered the cool metal medallion, feeling the bumps and ridges of the QR code etched on it. 

 

Willa pulled over in front of the building and put the car in park.  “Good luck to y’all.”

 

“Thanks for the ride,” Scully said, opening her door.  “Empath or not, I’m glad you decided to trust us.”

 

“Agreed,” I said as we got out. I paused and leaned down to look across the Volt’s cabin at her, holding the car door open.  “But if you’re ever curious, they do psychic testing at the AIC in Pittsburgh.”

 

She laughed, blue eyes twinkling.  “I’ll think about it, _Dave_ ,” she said with a smile, emphasizing my fake name.  “If I do, I’ll be sure and tell them you sent me.”

 

After I closed the door she drove off, a bright cheery spot among morning shadows.  I turned to Scully, rubbing my morning-beard-scratchy face with one hand.  “What d’ya say to a cup of coffee, a couple of muffins, and getting our life back?”

 

“If the muffins are half as delicious as the ones at A Muffin a Day, I’m all for it.”

 

“I don’t know that they’re quite that good, but I’m sure they’ll do,” I said as I held the door for her.  “Let’s go find out.”

 

_finis_

**Author's Note:**

> Right after this episode aired, I began getting email regarding the muffin scene in the café. Some of my readers thought they caught a connection to my story Muffins on a Saturday Morning, though I didn’t see it until it was pointed out. We all know that the cast and crew of the X-Files pay attention to their fans and fanfic, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility though I highly doubt it. Still, couldn’t resist.


End file.
